DAILY SCOPE: 474 Day without a President, Shehayeb’s Plan Not Acceptable

Local Editor

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES

AS-SAFIR:

Disaster Warning with Coming Rain Season

AL-AKHBAR:

Shehayeb's Plan Not Acceptable

As-Sisi Receives Ali Mamlouk

AN-NAHAR:

Berri: Take it From Me, Dialogue will Continue and Will Yield Results

AL-BINAA:

France and Saudi Arabia Foil Russian-European Understanding on Syrian Political Route

AD-DIYAR:

Shehayeb's Plan Passes with Cabinet and Staggers with Public

"Electrifying" Debates Between Finance and Energy

Newspapers on Friday, September 11th, focused on domestic matters, including House Speaker Berri's dialog, the security appointments dilemma, Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayeb's Cabinet-approved plan to tackle the waste crisis, in light of popular and political positions against it. Al-Akhbar also tackled some regional developments, with Egypt and Oman's novel openness towards Syria, alongside Syria's National Security head Ali Mamlouk meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

State's Dignity Going into Trash! --- AS-SAFIR

As-Safir today warned that the greatest loser amidst the country's current happenings is the state, or rather what's left of its dignity, of its institutions and administrations.

The daily added: "The dialogue failed before it even began, and so have all attempts to reopen the doors Parliament and Cabinet." Now with President François Hollande's upcoming visit to Lebanon, he would be the first French president to visit Lebanon without being greeted by the president.

Lebanon has now been without a president for the 474th day. All attempts at a presidential election have so far failed.

As-Safir continued, saying that corruption has affected all of the state, and every successful initiative made by some administration or organization includes "some deal under the table". The waste crisis "proved them all corrupt." It went on to say that "we face the disaster of the piling up of more than 170 thousand tons of waste in the streets..."

The paper also warned that this disaster is expected to worsen with winter and rains closing it, which could prove even more disastrous when the trash that had been piling up for weeks blocks sewage and river. Lebanon would then be expected to face additional disasters, "the likes of which Lebanon has never seen."

Roukoz Knot Yet to Be Untied --- AL-AKHBAR

Al-Akhbar, for its part, explained that the problem of security appointments has yet to be resolved, pointing out that the latest solution being marketed by American Ambassador David Hale and MP Walid Jumblat [through Health Minister Wael Abou Faour], which proposes promoting Brigader General Shamel Roukoz, regional commanders, and other Brigadier Generals nominated for the military council, to Major Generals."

Al-Akhbar's official sources said that General Michel Aoun did not approve of the proposal for now, neither did the Future party and Army Command, which has practically begun procedure to retire Roukoz. The latter however agreed, stipulating that he does not wish to remain behind a desk should this be done.

In another article entitled "As-Sisi receives Ali Mamlouk", Al-Akhbar revealed that Head of the Syrian National Security Bureau, Major General Ali Mamlouk, visited Cairo in the final third of August, away from the limelight, and met with a number of senior military, intelligence, and security officials. The visit ended with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi receiving the Syrian official, with al-Akhbar sources describing the visit as "very successful", and that both parties were "pleased with its results".

According to the sources, Mamlouk received confirmation from Egyptian officials that Cairo believes that the solution of the Syrian crisis can only be political, and that they also believe that "both countries face a common enemy that is the Muslim Brotherhood [which includes Turkey], which is more of a danger to Egypt than to Syria."

Al-Akhbar also revealed that both agreed to reactivate diplomatic ties, culminating in an exchange of ambassadors soon, with sources stating that Cairo is preparing to name Ahmad Helmy, who was in its embassy staff in Beirut, as Egyptian Consul General in Syria.

Source: al-Ahed News, Edited by website team